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Monday, April 9, 2012

ExerGaming Participation in US Youth (study)

How often do US Youth play exergames? According to NHANES 2010 data, 4 out of 10 high school students play exergames / active games on a weekly basis. If played at sufficient intensities and duration, exergaming may be a viable mode for U.S. youth to meet physical activity guidelines.

Objective: Active video game usage (active gaming) is a viable way to encourage and increase physical activity. Video game technology is perceived as ubiquitous although no current nationally-representative study describes participation in active gaming in U.S. youth. Our study describes the proportion of high school youth who report active gaming and the characteristics associated with active gaming.Methods: The National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey, 2010 provided data for this study. A nationally representative sample of 9,125 U.S. students in grades 9=12 completed a self-administered questionnaire during class in Spring, 2010. The survey response rate was 73%. Active gaming was assessed as the number of days reported participating in active video games [Wii, Dance Dance Revolution] in the past 7 days. Students reporting 1 days were classified as active gamers. Characteristics hypothesized to be associated with active gaming [demographic (sex, grade, race/ethnicity), BMI (normal, overweight, obese), sedentary behaviors (watching DVDs and TV), and physical activity (sports and physical education participation, meeting aerobic and muscle strengthening guidelines)] were also obtained from the questionnaire. Statistical software was used to account for complex sampling and to calculate prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between active gaming and demographic characteristics, BMI, sedentary behaviors, and physical activity.Results: The proportion of U.S. high school students reporting active gaming was 39.9% (95% CI = 37.9, 42.0%). Adjusting for all covariates, the following characteristics were positively associated (p<0.05) with active gaming: 9th and 10th grades (versus 12th grade), African-American race/ethnicity (versus Hispanic), overweight or obese (versus normal weight), watching DVDs >0 hours/day (versus watching DVDs 0 hours/day) and watching TV >0 hours/day (versus watching TV 0 hours/day), and meeting aerobic physical activity and muscle strengthening guidelines (versus not meeting the respective guidelines).Conclusion: Four out of 10 U.S. high school students report participating in active gaming. Active gamers are more likely to be younger, African-American, overweight or obese, spend time watching DVDs or TV, and meet physical activity guidelines. Active gaming may be a viable mode for U.S. youth to meet physical activity guidelines.